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When two people decide to get married, they are committing themselves to one another. When one person strikes up a friendship with someone of the opposite sex, then, what are the boundaries of that friendship? How do they know what is proper and what is not? What exactly is an emotional affair and is it harmful to the spouse? Does it mean the end of a marriage or is it simply a way for one person to get out their feelings and emotions?

Defining an Emotional Affair

There is nothing wrong with having friendships and enjoying the company of another person. However, when you grow close to a member of the opposite sex, your relationship could turn into an emotional affair. This occurs when you talk about your emotions and intimate thoughts with your friend. In addition, your spouse does not know how close you are to this other person and is unaware of what you are sharing with him or her.

The Effect on a Marriage

A marriage can be affected by an emotional affair if the spouse feels violated or that trust was broken. In some circumstances, the partner’s emotional affair becomes destructive because they share more with their friend than they do with their spouse. This is a recipe for disaster and can mean the end of a marriage.

Understanding Why

Why does an emotional affair happen? Some people believe that it is more than just an emotional connection and that it begins because of a physical attraction. Do you have to have someone of the opposite sex to talk about your emotions with? You can certainly make these connections with someone of the same sex. And, why do you hide the details from your spouse? It seems that this happens because one or both participants are interested in a physical relationship. If this was not the case, the spouse in question could turn to any number of other outlets to discuss their feelings, like a psychiatrist or long-time friend.

Letting Go

The spouse having the emotional affair needs to reflect on what is happening and examine their feelings. Are they simply sharing emotions or is there a physical attraction as well? Why are they speaking to this person instead of their spouse? Talk to your partner about what is happening. Determine how much your marriage and your relationship mean to you. All of these things can help you finally let go of your emotional affair.